Colin, 76

Ex-miner Colin moved to England from Wales in 1968 in order to pursue a better future. For many years he enjoyed a stable and steady life and was in total control of his finances, with managerial roles at Coca Cola and a pharmaceutical company.

This all changed when Colin’s life was thrown into turmoil due to a relationship breakdown. At an age where he should have been enjoying retirement, Colin became estranged from his family and sought relief with alcohol to help numb his emotional pain.

Colin and his former partner were in a relationship for 22 years, and had a daughter together. His partner had suffered with mental health issues in the past, and these worsened after the birth of their daughter, which ultimately resulted in the breakdown of the family. When they finally separated in 2013, a devastated Colin was out on the street.

The police advised that Colin should move to Wellington for his own safety, but instead of providing a fresh start, the stress of the experience lead him to become increasingly dependent on alcohol and gambling, borrowing money from whoever was willing to lend, in order to fund his destructive lifestyle.

“I was in my seventies at the time. I’d lost my daughter, I’d lost my partner and I’d lost my home. Everything was gone. I got myself into all sorts of problems, money wise. I started to drink every day and was flittering away money without thinking of the consequences.”

Completely overwhelmed by mounting debt and being bombarded by red letters from creditors, Colin fell into the depths of depression and felt there was no way out of his current situation. When he considered ending his life, a friend reached out and suggested he contact Creditfix, after reaping the benefits of the service herself.

Although he was initially sceptical, Creditfix helped Colin gain control over his finances, and ultimately get his life back on track.

“When I spoke to them, they were so understanding of my situation and weren’t judgmental. I’m back on my feet once more and enjoying life, I can’t say enough wonderful things about Creditfix. I want people in debt to know that help is out there.”

To qualify for debt write off in an IVA with Creditfix, you must have a minimum of £6000 of qualifying unsecured debt owed to two or more creditors. A debt write off amount of between 25% and 75% is realistic, however the debt write off amount for each customer differs depending upon their individual financial circumstances and is subject to the approval of their creditors.